Breaking down the USC-UCLA matchup at the Coliseum (Saturday at 5 p.m., KABC/7):

QUARTERBACKS

Cody Kessler’s resurgence under interim coach Ed Orgeron has been commendable – he has completed 73 percent of his passes in USC’s past five games, all of which were victories – but UCLA has the commanding advantage in this category. Brett Hundley has the ability to take over a game with his arm or his improvisational skills, and despite his inconsistencies this season, he’s still the Pac-12’s second-highest-rated quarterback, behind only Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. While Kessler is more of a facilitator, with the Trojans’ run setting up the pass, Hundley will be the centerpiece of UCLA’s offense on Saturday. The Bruins’ offense goes as he goes, and after accounting for three touchdowns in last year’s meeting, expect Hundley to come out slinging in this one. Edge: UCLA

RUNNING BACKS

There’s no Johnathan Franklin for UCLA to lean on this time around, and with two-way sensation Myles Jack moving back primarily to defense, the Bruins’ running back situation remains the mystery it was when the year began. Jack will still get a handful of carries, and Paul Perkins has been solid, albeit unspectacular, in his time as UCLA’s lead ball carrier. The Trojans’ backfield rotation has also been a roll of the dice this season, but a recent resurgence, led by dynamic sophomore Javorius Allen, gives them the edge. In his past four games, Allen has averaged 8.71 yards per touch with six touchdowns. He’ll be the most explosive offensive threat on either side Saturday, and if he can break off a few big plays to open up the field, USC’s offense could have the upper hand. Edge: USC

RECEIVERS

Few teams in the country boast the kind of talent USC does on the perimeter, with two future first-round picks in Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor. Lee has been seriously limited by a knee injury this season, but after sitting out last week’s Colorado game, he should be healthier than he has been in quite some time. Last season, he torched the Bruins for 158 yards and a touchdown. With UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau potentially out, Agholor could be the main benefactor, drawing a much more easily exploitable matchup on the outside. The Bruins have plenty of talent at receiver, too, and will get a boost with Devin Fuller returning to the lineup after missing last week’s game. Shaq Evans has been impressive in spurts this season, and Devin Lucien has come on as of late, but no UCLA receiver has proven capable of taking over a game this season. USC has two guys capable of doing just that. Edge: USC

OFFENSIVE LINE

Two UCLA left tackles have suffered season-ending injuries. The Bruins’ best lineman, Xavier Su’a-Filo, is playing out of position in their place. And without any experienced depth to fill in, UCLA will rely on three freshmen to protect Hundley from one of the Pac-12’s best defensive lines. It’s not exactly an ideal situation for the Bruins, who gave up nine sacks last week to Arizona State. Expect them to bounce back a bit from last week’s sieve-like performance, but they’ll have their hands full against an impressive Trojan defensive front. USC’s offensive line hasn’t exactly been a standout unit, but the improved run blocking in the past few weeks has been evident. Edge: USC

DEFENSIVE LINE

A week after Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton feasted on UCLA’s freshmen up front, USC’s Leonard Williams and George Uko will get their shot at finishing off the leftovers. They havecombined for 10 sacks this season and have only gotten better since Orgeron took over. If they can disrupt UCLA’s offense early, it could be a long day for the Bruins. UCLA’s defensive line has underperformed in the past few games, with senior Cassius Marsh providing the most consistent effort. He’s prone to mistakes, though, and is undersized, which has taken him out of games at times. If Ellis McCarthy or Eddie Vanderdoes can get some push on USC’s offensive line, then the Bruins’ defense will be in much better shape. Edge: USC

LINEBACKERS

Chances are you’ve seen a few replays of Anthony Barr’s leveling of Matt Barkley in last season’s game, and since then, UCLA’s linebackers have only gotten more ferocious. Barr has continued to make an impact, even with increased attention from opposing offenses. And while Jack has made waves on offense recently, he’s still a better linebacker than he is a running back. His versatility, especially in coverage, has been one of UCLA’s best weapons on defense. USC linebacker Devon Kennard has equaled Barr in sacks this season with eight and has emerged as the pass-rushing threat that the Trojans desperately needed with Morgan Breslin out for the season. Leading tackler Hayes Pullard has the athleticism to give UCLA’s offense fits. But there are few linebacker corps in the nation with the kind of firepower that UCLA possesses. Edge: UCLA

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The combination of freshman Su’a Cravens and Dion Bailey gives USC perhaps the best set of safeties in the Pac-12. Both are basically speedy linebackers who can play in coverage – they have nine interceptions between them – but Cravens, especially, is a star in the making. On the outside, Josh Shaw and Kevon Seymour round out a unit that has given up only 215 yards passing per game this season, good for the second-best in the conference. The Bruins’ defensive backfield has overachieved for most of the season, finally showing some vulnerability in the past few weeks. On Saturday, the Bruins likely will be without cornerback Fabian Moreau, which could put them at a huge disadvantage against a talented wideout tandem in Lee and Agholor. Edge: USC

SPECIAL TEAMS

UCLA may have finally found the kick returner it has been looking for in cornerback Ish Adams after his contributions in the return game jump-started the offense last week against Arizona State. The Bruins are always a candidate to block a punt or field goal, and if the unit can pull that off, it could be a game-changer. Both kickers in this game are woefully inconsistent with UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn missing two key kicks last week and USC’s Andre Heidari missing his fair share of kicks all season. Edge: UCLA

COACHING

There is no denying the impressive coaching job that Orgeron has done over the past seven games after stepping in for Lane Kiffin. He has brought a new energy to USC that clearly wasn’t there during its unimpressive 3-2 start and is riding a five-game win streak. Quite simply, his players are playing better for him than they ever did for Kiffin this season. But while Orgeron may have the momentum, the “changing culture” narrative isn’t exactly a new one between these two teams. UCLA coach Jim Mora perfected it last season, becoming the first Bruins coach to start 1-0 against USC since Bob Toledo did in 1996. Mora finally has UCLA believing that it belongs on the same field with the Trojans, which is quite the departure from the Bruins teams that lost 12 of 13 to their rivals. The pressure is on Orgeron, who could be fighting to remove the “interim” from his title. Edge: UCLA

INTANGIBLES

On paper, neither team is playing for anything more than the right to spend New Year’s Eve in El Paso for the Sun Bowl, with both already eliminated from Rose Bowl contention. But playing for your beloved new coach’s job is certainly motivation enough, and when you throw in the fact that UCLA won last season and hasn’t beaten USC at the Coliseum since 1997, you’ve got plenty of reasons why the Trojans should have an intangible advantage. The Bruins will be out to prove that last season’s result wasn’t a fluke, and winning on enemy ground would definitely send a message. Last year’s UCLA victory put an end to the Los Angeles monopoly, but the momentum heading into this game lies squarely in USC’s hands. Edge: USC

MATCHUP TO WATCH

USC pass rush vs. UCLA offensive line: Hundley has been on the run quite a bit this season, thanks to endless shuffling up front, and up against the best defensive lines he’s seen since Stanford, the pressure will be on the Bruins’ freshmen-laden line to rise to the challenge. That’s especially true for Scott Quessenberry and Alex Redmond, who will match up with All-Pac-12 defensive end Leonard Williams on more than one occasion. If USC can get pressure on Hundley by rushing Kennard off the edge, Hundley could have a long day of running for his life in store.

PREDICTION: USC, 28-24

Last season’s 38-28 win at the Rose Bowl was undoubtedly a huge step forward for UCLA, but with so much momentum on USC’s side heading into this one, a lot of things will have to go right for Mora to start out 2-0 against the Trojans. UCLA’s offensive line is a horror show right now, and we’ve seen several times this year how ineffective the Bruins are when Hundley doesn’t have time to make good decisions. USC, meanwhile, has hit its stride as of late, with an improved defensive effort and a late-season breakout from Allen. This one will be close, but ultimately, the Trojans should pull it out, with Orgeron elevated to permanent coach soon after.

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